Rare Ford Racing GTs to Debut on U.S. Soil at
the Carlisle Ford Nationals
For
months, the talk of the town has been just how massive the Carlisle Ford
Nationals will be in 2014. This year’s show, June 6-8 at the Carlisle PA
Fairgrounds, was already going to be more than just an event, it was slated to
be an automotive happening. As Carlisle Events celebrates its 40th
Anniversary and the weekend honors 110-years of Ford as well as 50-years of the
Mustang, over 3,000 cars are expected with nearly 50,000 enthusiasts to
boot. So what could make it even more epic? The answer to that
question was recently revealed during a Carlisle Events staff meeting in late
April.
Straight
off a cargo ship from Europe and in the United States for the first-time ever, Ford lovers can see the only four Matech Ford GT1 cars in the world! These
cars aren’t just any run of the mill GTs, these particular GT1 cars were
designed by Matech Concepts in 2009, using the initial design of the modern
Ford GT as the basis for this full on race car. It was the ambition of
Matech’s team owner, Martin Bartek, to have the Ford GT race once again at the
legendary 24 hours of Le Mans, and while Matech was already a highly successful
manufacturer and race team, having designed and raced the Matech Ford GT3 cars,
the GT3 cars were not eligible for Le Mans. The Matech Ford GT1 project
was born with the primary aim of competing at Le Mans.
This dream
became reality when in February 2010 invitations were received from the Le
Mans’ organizers to enter the toughest and most famous endurance race in the
world. Coincidently, this is the same 24 hours of Le Mans that Carlisle
Events’ co-owner Lance Miller attended as part of “The Quest,” a touching film
by Michael Brown that chronicled Miller’s desire to fulfill his late father’s
(Carlisle Events’ co-founder Chip Miller) dream of returning his legendary
Cunningham racing Corvette and its equally legendary driver to the same track
where it won first in class 50 years earlier in 1960.
During the
visit with his Corvette, Miller quickly took notice to the Matech GTs, due in
part to their return to Le Mans amid a rich history of competition at both the
24 hours of Le Mans and in the FIA GT1 World Championship. This history
included an impressive 1-2-3 finish in the grueling 1000km of Spa-Francorchamps
in Belgium, plus stunning wins in the hands of Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean
at both Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, and Brno in the Czech Republic.
Owned in part
by Miller and long-time friend Greg Boehme, the four GT1s were previously owned
by the highly successful European team, MarcVDS Racing from Belgium.
Thanks to the team and their meticulous attention to detail, the cars are now
presented once again in their stunning 2010 race liveries.
“While I grew
up surrounded by Corvettes, the early GT40s have always been my ultimate dream
car; however; as time moved on so did the values with good reason,” noted
Miller. “In the early 2000s when Ford announced that the potential new
supercar called the Ford GT could become a reality, I was beside myself and in
2005, when I saw the first production Ford GT, it was love at first site,”
continued Miller. “Once I met the designer, some of the team members and
learned the sheer passion behind the build of the Ford GT, I fell in
love! I have a racing background and when I saw Matech build the GT3 cars
I was impressed, but once I saw the GT1 cars that were made specifically for
the 24 hour of Le Mans, I knew one day I HAD to own one! My dad had his
dream car, the 1960 Le Mans-winning Cunningham #3 Corvette and it’s ironic that
while I was helping bring his dreams into reality in 2010 at Le Mans, at the
same time, I was seeing my dream car in person for the first time. I'm
literally pinching myself in disbelief because to me, these are the ultimate
racers of today and I'm privileged to be a caretaker!” Miller concluded,
“I feel strongly that these cars should be on U.S. soil and I'm thrilled they
will be seen at the world's largest all-Ford-themed event, the Carlisle Ford
Nationals at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds beginning June 6, 2014. I’d like
to offer a special thanks to my partner with the cars Greg Boehme.
Fortunately for me, he carries the same enthusiasm for these incredible cars as
I do and we were able to bring them home together!”
About the Cars:
Underneath the paint, the performance specifications are just as impressive as
the looks, with 650 horse power delivered from an all-American 5.3 liter V8
built by renowned engine builder Roush-Yates. Huge carbon brakes, capable
of lasting an entire 24-hour race provide the stopping power, and a full carbon
fiber body reduces the race car’s weight to a paltry 2600 pounds. Coupled
to the engine is a 6-speed sequential gearbox, allowing ultra fast clutchless
gearshifts and propelling the car up to 200 mph in its Le Mans low down force
configuration.
These four
cars are the only remaining Matech Ford GT1s in the world, as two others were
destroyed during competition in 2010. As part of American racing history, these
treasures will be unveiled for the first time to the American public at the
Carlisle Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Friday, June 6 at 12 p.m.
near the Red 102.3 stage. At that point, they will undoubtedly draw huge
crowds and make thousands of new fans, just as they did during their triumphant
return to Le Mans in 2010. In addition to unveiling and showcasing the
cars, there will be regular engine runs throughout the weekend. The
display and audio showcase will ensure they remain one of the most exciting
attractions of the show…ear plugs are strongly encouraged!
BRUCE HUBBARD
AUTO ADVISOR GROUP
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